"A resume is a
self-promotional
document that presents you
in the best possible light,
for the purpose of getting
invited to a job interview."
-YANA PARKER

SELLING
YOURSELF

Your
résumé functions as an advertisement of yourself. It is an effective
way of marketing and packaging yourself for the job market. It is a
promotional tool that presents you at your best. The content of your
résumé must arouse the curiosity of the reader. It must make the reader
want to meet you. A good résumé will enable you reaffirm in writing, on
paper, your positive qualities, skills and characteristics. A good
résumé presents supportive information that justifies your job
objective. By stating your work-related accomplishments,
responsibilities and qualifications, you document your capabilities.

Effective résumé writing utilizes good marketing strategy. Taking a
strategic approach to writing your resume will ensure there is a good
reason and sound logic behind every choice you make in developing this
important document. Your résumé is a thirty-second commercial about
you. You are the product. Your résumé is the advertisement. Your
résumé is a sales brochure. You are the product it is trying to sell.
Your résumé is one of your key sales tools. It emphasizes the
advantages and benefits of using your services. Your résumé presents,
promotes and publicizes you... by grabbing attention... by sparking
interest.

RESUME IMPACT"A
résumé is the best way and largely the only way to disseminate important
information about yourself. It is a personal advertisement. A portrait
of you in writing. Just as a picture is worth a thousand words, so a
résumé speaks eloquently in your behalf."

-BURDETTE BOSTWICK

"A
résumé is what nearly everyone you approach in your job search is going
to ask you to send them before they take any action on your behalf. You
can think of it as the driver's license of job hunting: You can't go
anywhere without it. What it is, in short, is a one or two page summary
of your work history, educational background, and work-related personal
qualifications. Its fundamental purpose is to give prospective employers
a convenient and reasonably efficient way to determine, at a glance, if
you warrant a closer look."

-MAX
MESSMER

"Remember: a resume is a self-promotional document that presents you in
the best possible light, for the purpose of getting invited to a job
interview. It's not an official personnel document. It's not a
job application. It's not a career obituary! And it's not a
confessional."

-YANA PARKER

SUMMARIZE YOURSELF

Your resume is a sales brochure not
an owner's manual. It is an
overview. It is a brief summary.
It should be concise, compact and
condensed. Short and succinct. A
good resume does not provide
detailed information. It is not an
official document of your life. It
does not review your entire
existence on earth. It is not an
account of every job you've ever
held. It is not your job history or
life story.

Your résumé represents you. It acts
as an ambassador in your behalf. It
is a calling card. It is used to
initiate contact. It is oftentimes
the first impression an employer has
of you. It is up to you to make this
first impression count. Your résumé
is also a reminder. After an
initial meeting or after an
interview, your résumé serves as a
record, and provides positive
support for your personal
impression. It helps the
interviewer remember you.

DOOR OPENER

Your résumé does not get you a job.
Your résumé only gets you an
interview. An interview gets you a
job. Your résumé should prompt the
employer to exclaim, "I want to
meet this person!" All you want is
a chance to tell your story in
person. Your résumé opens the door,
but it does not close the sale.

CHOICE CUTS

The information on your résumé
should be positive, selective and
relevant. Keep your presentation
short and full of spark. Your
résumé should be a concise statement
of what you've learned from past
experiences and how they will help a
future employer. Your résumé must
project a positive image. It must
fit both you and the circumstances.
Most importantly, your résumé must
appeal to the reader. Target your
résumé to the specific needs of the
employer who is currently reading
your résumé. Insure that everything
on your résumé is relevant to the
job for which you are applying.

SPECIAL & UNIQUE

Your résumé should present
information that clearly
differentiates you from everyone
else. What is it about you that
only you can offer? What makes you
special and unique? What makes you
stand out? What separates you from
the rest? What are your distinct
attributes? In what ways are you
better than your competition?
Employers aren't looking for the
"same old résumé." They're looking
for something special. To grab
attention and spark interest, your
résumé must go beyond the standard,
typical, everyday, "run-of-the-mill"
résumé.

JOB APPLICATION

Your résumé can be used to
supplement information when filling
out a job application. Sometimes it
can even replace a job application.
However, do not mistake your résumé
for a job application. A job
application contains all the
information about you that the
employer wants to know. Your résumé
contains all the information about
you that you want to tell the
employer. A job application is a
standard official form created and
controlled by the employer. Your
résumé belongs entirely to you.
Your résumé is your opportunity to
present yourself to the employer in
your own words, on your own terms,
in your own way. While your résumé
and the job application should not
contradict each other, it is
important to remember that they
greatly differ in the way they
present you on paper. You have
complete control over the
information in your résumé. You may
describe yourself in any manner you
see fit. You may include or exclude
any detail you choose.

Résumé writing is a fine art. It is
not an exact science. There is no
one right way to write a résumé.
There are no rigid rules for
designing or composing a résumé.
You should feel comfortable and
confident that you can develop a
résumé that is right for you... one
that is tailor-made for you...
one that fits your own specific
background and goals.

You don't have to brag, lie,
misrepresent or exaggerate on a
résumé. But, you should describe
your experiences and abilities as
positively as possible without
excessive use of superlatives.
Avoid cuteness, cleverness, and
fluff. Don't ever say anything
negative or irrelevant about
yourself on a résumé. Every
element of your résumé must say: "I
am a perfect match!"

A résumé is an individually designed
document that summarizes your
background. It is intended to
demonstrate your fitness for a
particular position. It focuses on
the most attractive and applicable
aspects of your background.

Tell what you've learned, not only
what you've done. Provide evidence
of skills, not just duties. Make
sure your resume conveys what you
have to offer, not what you want.
Don't tell employers what you're
looking for, tell what contributions
you can make.

Write clearly and simply. Stay away
from fuzzy, vague or sweeping
statements. Use short, direct,
active phrases, rather than complete
sentences. The collective
descriptions of duties,
responsibilities, achievements and
skills should read like a list
rather than a paragraph. Statements
should begin with action verbs.
Avoid personal pronouns (I...
me... my...). Keep it brief. One
page resumes are best.

Make it visually appealing. Use
wide margins and easy-to-read type.
Balance blocks of text with white
space. Be consistent in your
format.

Support all activities and
responsibilities with results and
accomplishments. Emphasize
transferable skills. Use
statistics and quantifiable language
whenever possible. Use positive
language. Keep the reader in mind.